Of Gods & Monsters
by TheNightIsAlmostOver
Summary: Violet is in the wrong place at the wrong time and falls victim to one of Loki's infamous tricks. He's set his sights on her and will stop at nothing to claim her as his. She decides to play into his games and learns quickly that games with monsters can become deadly. Rated M for adult themes. Set before events of Thor. Loki/Oc
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Asgard, to Jotunheim, to Marvel. This is purely for enjoyment and I do not receive any monetary gain from this.

An- I feel like I should give a short note, just because this is my first Loki fic. If you catch any mistakes or feel I'm not living up to Loki's potential, please tell me. The events of this story take place before the movie Thor. Thanks for reading!

_There's so much beauty when your eyes lay lost in all the city lights_

_The wax will drip as soft as blood, romance is dead and all is lust._

**_Prologue: The Wolves Are At Your Door_**

Loki Odinson sighed as he set his chin in his palm and leaned an elbow across the arm of the chair. He had been watching his brother spar with Sif for well over an hour. Their jests, clangs of weapons and laughter were getting slightly annoying. Volstagg was busy with a turkey leg, stuffing his face with a greasy smile as he watched the sparring match.

Food fell from his lips and entangled in his beard with every chomp. Loki looked away in mild disgust and sighed again. He rose to his feet, clasped his hands behind his back and moved silently to the massive windows that overlooked the castle. The weapon's room was almost as large as the banquet hall with a massive ceiling held up by thick, stone columns.

Loki glanced back at his fair headed brother who spun, snatched Sif's arm and rolled her over his shoulder. She hit the mat hard, but laughing before springing to her feet. None of the Warriors Three noticed Loki missing from his chair. He turned toward the open, double doors and without a second glance walked from the sparring room.

The castle was almost empty, save for a few servants who scattered away in a hurry at the sight of the Prince but he paid them no attention. Loki kept his green eyes on the ground below him, his thoughts swirling darkly as they usually did. He was a son of Odin and heir to the throne, surrounded by people who loved him and worshiped him like the prince he was...Still, he couldn't stop his mind from turning to the dark, icy places in his mind.

He thought to Thor, his always cheerful brother. How could someone be so happy so often? Did nothing trouble him? Why did he deserve the happiness? Why was Loki burdened by such darkness? He snarled and turned left suddenly, sending a young servant boy hurrying into an empty room to flee his path. Through the glass windows, Asgard sparkled and shone brightly under the setting sun. The Bifrost glittered beyond the shores, catching his eye like a beacon with each pass of a window.

The Prince growled under his breath, damning himself, damning his friends and brother, the whole realm for mocking him with their happiness.

No. He would not use the Bifrost today. Today, he would take his anger to a place where tales of Asgard and sons of Odin were myths.

**Tennessee, USA. 1977**

Crickets chirped in the still, summer night as Violet White poked her head out of her bedroom window. She stared toward the dirt road beyond the street lights, waiting for the signal. It was nearing midnight and the snores from her mother's room was her cue to flick her flashlight three times in the pain of her window. Darkness stretched beyond the circle of the street light and suddenly, Violet wondered if she was abandoned.

She didn't have the freedom to do whatever she wanted. While she was still living under her parent's roof, she was still subject to their rule. Like a servant. Violet rolled her eyes and tried not to think of her step-mother and father. They were snoring happily, surrounded by dreams and would never know that their daughter was sitting on the window sill, legs dangling a few inches off the dewy grass. Unless she didn't get a signal. Then, she would have to retreat back to her room, fuming.

Finally, a flash light flickered to life in the trees across the road. Happiness swirled through her as she ducked inside, grabbed her flannel bag and slipped through her window. Her feet hit the ground soundlessly and she pulled the window closed, leaving the edge of her blanket beneath the latch so she could open it with ease.

She tried to contain her laughing as she hurried across the dirt road and into the arms of her best friend, Heather. "Thank God! I thought you left me!"

Heather put her finger to her lips, her red lips widening into a grin. "Shh. I would never! Here." She picked up a rolled, thick joint from the stump at her feet, the tip glowing in the darkness. "Saved you some hits. Now, come on. The guys are waiting."

As they hurried through the woods, Violet puffed on the roach in her fingers, careful not to burn her fingertips or to trip on the branches and stumps beneath her. Her head swam as it usually did when Heather shared her weed but she enjoyed the high. It wasn't long before they came to the clearing where three guys stood around a small fire. Violet finished her hit and tossed the paper to the ground, blushing as she noticed Rafe Stevens.

He smiled at the approaching girls and she thought she could feel her heart bursting through her chest. From beside her, Heather nudged her in the side and grinned. "He looks so good tonight. Good enough to eat!"

"Hush!" Violet tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear and tried not to smile too much. Her cheeks already hurt.

"Finally." One of the other boys said. His name was Jack and he had been in Violet's English class, always in the back and always asleep. Heather giggled and dipped her fingers beneath the low cut fabric of her shirt and pulled out another joint. The boys whooped and passed her lighter. Violet stood awkwardly, her arms crossed over her ELO shirt as she listed to the boys tell dirty jokes and puff on the joint. They moved to the logs they had pulled over for seats and Violet declined the joint as it was passed to her.

She never liked smoking too much, even if her best friend had lungs like chimney stacks. Heather released a cloud that stretched into the sky and Violet watched it swirl to the stars. Until a particular star caught her eye. It was bright and twitching, and she wasn't the only one who noticed. "Whoa!" Jack said, leaping to his feet, a finger pointed to the darkness.

The group followed their gaze as the white ball streaked through black. Violet felt herself gasp and her arm clutched at Rafe's. She didn't even have time to admire the size of his muscles as the meteor soared above their heads and crashed into the trees a hundred yards away. The five of them stood, Heather's jaw dropping to her chest as they stared at the embers that clung to the tree branches. "What the fuck was that?"

"Oh, shit! I think that was a UFO!" Jack clutched his hair and shook his head, worry obviously written on his face. Rafe shook his head. "It was a meteorite. If we can find it, I bet we could make a load of money. Sell it to the news or something."

Violet glanced back to see Heather shaking her head. "There's no way I am going to find that thing. What if Jack's right? I saw a news story of a lady in Alaska who was abducted by aliens in her back yard and they raped her asshole and I am not going to get raped by some little green man!" Violet had to stifle her giggle behind her hand as she stared at her best friend's saucer eyes.

Heather was always getting caught up in mumbo-jumbo, whether it be crystals that give you power one week, or worshiping the Greek gods next. Violet turned back to the trees behind them, the branches still smoldering before glancing at the rest. Even Rafe looked worried now. He was a quarter-back, for God's sake. He could stare down ten men ready to pummel him, but was scared of a little debris. "It's probably something off an airplane. It happens all the time." She knew she was being naive, but her curiosity was piqued.

With a shrug, Violet hurried toward the trees, ignoring Heather's protest. She didn't know if it was the drug coursing through her system or what, but Violet felt like her feet were moving on their own. She was asking herself over and over in her head what in the world she could be thinking, but couldn't form an answer. The voice sounded exactly like her step-mothers, reminding her that a murder was on the loose, going off into the woods to smoke and hang out was beyond stupid, and she could be severely hurt from the meteorite. But, it didn't matter.

She hated listening to her step-mother's rules, hated how her father blindly followed them and never questioned her authority, always following up an argument with 'Now, Violet...'. It was the end of her side of things, always.

Sighing, Violet came to a stop at the edge of the tree line and glanced back at her friends. They had all stepped into the back of Rafe's truck, the fire behind them making them appear like shadows. They stared at her, and she could see Heather's short form and knew she was trembling. The girl was like a bunny, frightened by anything loud and big.

Squaring her shoulders, the girl stepped into the trees, following the glow of the burning ground, stepping over smoldering mounds of dirt and tree limbs. She walked until the path of ash was far into the trees. She couldn't see her friends anymore. Sighing, she turned back to the ground. The crater wasn't deep, only half a foot or so but the dirt was flat, as if something heavy and round had landed. Maybe it was an alien space craft. What if Heather had been right? Was she next to be probed by some little green man? Panic bubbled in her stomach and suddenly, Violet felt as if the trees were coming closer.

She turned on her heel, wishing she had never decided to be brave in front of some stupid boy! Her food twisted, the bottom of her sandal slipping on the loose dirt and she fell. Her throat tightened and she tried to keep her squeak quiet, just in case there were aliens still around. But, instead of hitting the dirt, an arm snaked around her waist and Violet was spinning. She whirled around, her arms reaching out and finally grabbing hold of whatever had grabbed her.

Her fingers brushed leather and what felt like velvet before she launched into an attack. "Don't touch me!" She shakily ground through clenched teeth as her fists hit her captor. Her left wrist was seized and quickly her right and pushed behind her back, making her whimper from the slight pain in her shoulders.

She tossed her head back, clearing her eyes of her hair and stared as her sight adjusted to the dim light of the flickering fires around her. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a not so little man. He was taller than she was, with broad shoulders adorned with leather and emerald velvet cloth. Violet didn't know what to rest her eyes on; his pale face or his entirely insane clothing. "Who are you?"

"I am Loki of Asgard." His accent threw her for a loop. He definitely was not from around Tennessee. There was no drawl to his words, every syllable spoken clear and crisp. "And I have come to your realm seeking a distraction."

"A...A distraction?" She couldn't even form a coherent sentence and though her arms were still pinned behind her back, Violet could do nothing but stare.

His eyes traced her face and lower, pausing on the swell of her chest under the thin cotton of her t-shirt. With her arms behind her, she realized how much her chest was pushed out, nearly pressed against his. But, he kept an some space between them. She felt her face flush under his scrutiny and tried to twist out of his grip. "Let me go." She growled, clenching her teeth against the pain his grip inflicted.

What had she learned in her P.E. class last year when all the girls were required to take a week of self-defense? Keep a level head. She was starting to shake, but she couldn't tell if it was from the strain of her muscles, or panic. She couldn't use the move she had learned to smash his nose into his skull, since her hands were bound. Violet glanced down to his feet. They were on either side of her own and even though his boots looked sturdy, it was all she had.

"Pitiful mortal, powerless against a god-" He finished his sentence with a howl as Violet stomped her heel onto the arch of his foot once and then again just for good measure. The most important thing she learned from the week of self-defense was that whenever there was a chance to run, take it.

His grip loosened from her arms and she was off, her feet pounding the ground. The clearing was insight and she could still the see the fire. A shadow moved across it and relief found her. Her friends were coming for her. She reached the line of trees just as an engine roared to life and Rafe's trucks spun hastily in the mud before finding their hold and sending the truck speeding away.

Violet slid to a stop, gripping a tree for support as she watched the red metal gleam of the forgotten fire, hurrying to the small trail that led back to the main road. She was alone.

They left her.

A hand snaked around her mouth just as she found the strength to scream and pulled her back against his hard chest. "Pitiful and dumb. Not a good combination for you." He snarled next to her ear. She was terrified, confused, exhausted but her adrenaline was pumping through her and Violet did what her P.E. teacher had showed them using a dummy as an attacker. It was easy to head-butt a stuffed doll, not so easy on a moving, actual target. But, she leaned forward slightly and shot her head back.

She felt his nose crack under her skull and pain engulfed her entire head. Stumbling, Violet put her hands out to catch her on the ground and didn't even look back to see if her hit had been a good one. The sound of crunching bone and cartilage echoed in her ears as she ran, hoping he was subdued enough not to follow her.

Her breath didn't slow down until twigs and grass gave way to the familiar gravel of her street and the rows of modest, suburban houses sheltered her from the threat. She reached her window, panting and breathless and stared at the blanket corner that jutted out from the lock. She didn't want to look back, but her curiosity got the best of her. Trembling, Violet turned to glance over her shoulder, her eyes wide and focused on the shadowy figure standing at the circle of light the street lamp created.

He had followed her. Terror gripped her insides but still she couldn't move. He took a step and came fully into the light. It bathed over him in an artificial orange glow and even though he had attacked her and had intended to do only God knows what to her, she couldn't help but stare in awe. He stood there, staring at her with blood dripping down the bottom half of his face and a smile that sent chills down her spine. It was her that felt like a frightened bunny now, staring into the snarling mouth of a wolf.

Blinking herself out of whatever daze he put her in, she slid her window open and hurried into her room, locking it tightly behind her. She glanced back out toward the street lamp but he was gone. Sighing in relief, she pulled the curtains closed just as someone behind her cleared their throat.

Violet whirled around as her bedside lamp clicked on and her father and step-mother stared at her furiously.

AN- Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review! Any questions I will answer through PM!


	2. Found

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing from Asgard, to Jotunheim, to Marvel. This is purely for enjoyment and I do not recieve any monetary gain from this.

An- I feel like I should give a short note, just because this is my first Loki fic. If you catch any mistakes or feel I'm not living up to Loki's potential, please tell me. The events of this story take place before the movie Thor. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_In the land of Gods & Monsters_  
_I was an angel, living in the garden of Eden._

* * *

**.Found.**

**.**

**.**

"So, how dead are you?" Heather said with a sympathetic smile as she slid into the wooden chair across the table from Violet. She didn't lower her voice, despite the numerous 'Shh!' signs all over the library and the woman behind the circular desk sending the pair of girls a scathing look. Violet pursed her lips and shut her notebook with a quick snap before shoving it into her satchel. She was still furious with her best friend for deserting her and leaving her to fend off a maniac. Without a word, Violet turned and headed toward the glass doors on the right of the circular desk.

"Vi, please." Heather grabbed her wrist, lighter than the way _he_ had two nights ago but the bruises were still there and still painful. She winced and pulled herself free, hoping Heather didn't question why her wrists were purple. She was thankful her parents hadn't asked why she was so shaken up and only accused her of sneaking out to party. If only it had been just that. Now where ever she went she looked over her shoulder just in case he was following her.

His piercing green eyes were burned into her memory and when she closed her eyes at night, he was still staring at her from the edge of her yard, smiling with blood dripping down his mouth, as if he had been ripping apart helpless animals. She still didn't know what to make of what had happened, or if she even wanted to think about it anymore at all.

Heather snapped her fingers in the air and Violet jumped, blinking out of her daze. She had been lost in her own world a lot in the past two days, igniting new questions from her step-mom about how many drugs she was on, exactly. It seemed Heather noticed her distant stare too. "I can see you're still mad...but we freaked out. Jack kept hearing things, saying people were walking toward us from the woods...we thought it was some Satanic cult or something."

"A Satanic cult that rides the curtails of meteorites?" Violet scoffed and slung her satchel strap over her shoulder and turned back toward the library's doors. The woman behind the counter eyed her as she pushed the bar and stepped out into the hot afternoon, Heather right on her heels. "You know we weren't thinking clearly." Her friend said through clenched teeth, as if being high was an excuse for what she did. Violet slowed to a stop with a sigh, knowing that if the situations were reversed, she might have done the same thing...

Biting the inside of her lip, she adjusted the strap on her backpack and turned to Heather's apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. I did call you yesterday morning though. Your wicked Step-Mother sounded pissed. Has she cooled down any?"

"No." Violet turned toward the cross-walk. "It's like the more time passes, the angrier she gets. She's even brought me home pamphlets from the hospital about drug addiction." Heather laughed as they crossed the street, heading toward the main square. It was unspoken, but both girls knew they were heading toward Joe's Diner. It was their favorite place and they always shared a milkshake on Mondays. The lunch crowd had gone and the two girls had no trouble finding a booth in the back. They slid into the cracked, red leather seats and shared a giggle about how Jack had been so scared he almost pissed himself as the waitress shuffled over. Heather ordered some fries and both settled on a vanilla shake with extra cherries. "So, Rafe was worried about you yesterday too." Heather said, studying her fingernails.

"He seemed so worried as he sped off into the night." She couldn't help the bitter tone of her voice. After all the flirting during senior year, all the giggles at his stupid jokes, he had never even asked her out to the movies or anything. Now, it seemed he would never ask her out...Especially since she was tainted...

Her own thoughts startled her as Heather launched into how she had ran into Rafe at church but Violet was miles away. She rubbed her forehead surreptitiously and squinted down at the table under her elbows, the menu under the plexi-glass blurring. The foreign thought in her head felt intrusive, as if she had been walked in on in the shower. It left her wrists burning as if her attacker was still holding them in his grasp. She pulled at the strings of braided cord around her wrist she had been wearing to cover the blue and green.

"...he didn't even ask about Jack or anyone else, just you." Heather sounded a bit hurt by her own words as the waitress set napkins and their milkshake down between them.

"Fries are cookin' honey." She smiled, exposing her yellow, smoke stained teeth before moving back to the counter. The bell above the door chimed and the woman greeted the patron behind Violet's back. She was still having a hard time focusing on what Heather had just said, her thoughts jumbled like a knot. Instead of thinking too hard about it, she forced a smile. "Well, serves him right. You should have told him something horrible happened to me so he would feel guilty." She pulled the glass toward her, stuck a straw in it and sipped as Heather did the same.

The blonde sipped at the milkshake and darted her gaze to something over Violet's head. With eyes wide, Heather's mouth hung open slightly and the red striped straw fell from her lips. Violet narrowed her eyes and turned, feeling as if a block of ice had dropped into her stomach. She stared up at the upward turned mouth, the pale face and cold, unfathomable eyes of her attacker. The smile, the ice of his stare, everything was as it had been Saturday night, except his mouth was now clean of blood.

Heather sipped harder, hitting a spot at the bottom of the glass and making that god-awful slurp with the straw as he drew nearer to them. He reached out with his right hand and a chair from a neighboring table slid noisily across the tile floor until meeting his hand. Violet saw it out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't believe it had happened. He spin the metal chair around and slid into it, resting his elbows across the table.

His clothing had changed since that night and he now wore a black button down shirt, rolled back to his elbows and a pair of dark pants. She couldn't see his shoes, but hoped they were thin enough so that she could use her infamous move on him again. "Hello, again." His accent was as startling as ever; crisp with that strange lilt to his words that sent chills down her spine.

"Leave me alone." Violet growled, gripping the leather of the booth beneath her with white knuckles.

He clucked his tongue and shook his head slightly, feigning disappointment. "So _unfriendly_. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"We aren't friends. Eat shit." She hissed through tightly clenched teeth.

His laugh was cold and it made an easiness swirl through her. The diner had grown quiet and Violet could feel the heat of stares from all around them boring into the back of her head. Even the cook stared from the rectangular window in the kitchen, a timer going off unnoticed behind him. "You have such fire. Something you mortals tend to lack severely. I can't even remember a time a human did not kneel and tremble before me." His words may as well have been Greek or Latin to her. She couldn't understand any of it, or why he kept referring to her as a mortal and human.

He was nuts, and now he was here...stalking her in front of people who had watched her grow up. She wished the booth would open up and swallow her whole. "You think_ I_ have fire, just wait until my police officer father turns his gun on you. Leave. Me. Alone." Instead of feeling the threat of her words, the man simply plucked her hand from beside her, much more gently this time.

He curled her fingers and pressed his lips to her knuckles. She wasn't expecting his mouth to be warm or feel so...soft. She mentally kicked herself for sucking a sharp breath in at his touch. He noticed her response and a dark shadow passed over his face as a faint smirk curled his lips. It was as if he knew he was causing such an unwanted reaction within her.

"Listen, buddy, you need to leave these girls alone." A second voice ripped Violet from her daze and she stared up at a familiar face. She flushed as she recognized a buddy of her father's. Earl was the owner of the hardware store next door and she had known him since she was a toddler. And now here he was, witnessing her squirming and fighting to control herself around this stranger. "Just get back on whatever horse you rode in on and leave. This isn't the town for you."

From beside her, the man stood to his full height, unrolling like black smoke. She could see the corner of his lips lifting in a cruel smirk and for some reason, she feared for Earl's life. Rushing to her feet, Violet took the man's arm and smiled sweetly to Earl. "Thank you, Earl. I know him...we're...friends." She almost choked on the word. "He's just leaving now." She pushed against his chest, glancing down at her hands in surprise. It felt as if she were trying to push a marble statue through the diner, instead of a living, breathing man.

Though he was taller than her by almost a foot and could have easily stood his ground, he let her lead him outside. As they exited the tiny diner, it felt as if she had just stepped out of a coffin and could finally breathe. Every patron was staring at them from the windows, ready to pounce on him in case she was in trouble. But, something told her if this man wanted to, he could obliterate all of them.

He was so predatory, so...

"While I admire the look you're giving me at the moment, I must warn you to never-"

"Oh my God, cut the bullshit. I want you to leave me alone, got it? Stop stalking me, stop talking to me, just leave me alone." Her words felt brave as they left her mouth but the look on his face told her she was incredibly foolish for saying them. This was not a man who took the word 'no' very well. She immediately shrunk back like a scolded child and averted her gaze.

He stepped forward, ducked his head so he caught her stare again and lowered his voice so low, she had to strain to hear him. "As I was saying, I am Loki of Asgard, and no mortal on Midgard or any other realm will give me orders. I am a god and I can take what I want." His words, quiet but screaming in her head bit into her like thousands of daggers and she felt each syllable pierce her.

Loki. He was a god? She shivered as his hands traced the bruises of her wrists and was once again her fingers were brought to his lips. Her eyes slid closed and she tried with all of her being not to enjoy the touch of his lips on her skin. It sent tiny pinpricks down her spine. And just like that, he was gone. Violet blinked in the sudden light that he had blocked her from and shielded her eyes from the sun. She stared at the streets but saw no one who resembled his stature.

From behind her, the bell over the diner's door jingled and Heather ran out, breathless. "Who the hell was that?"

She was expecting an answer, but the only thing that Violet could find on her tongue was, "Loki."

.

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AN- Hey, special thanks to all those who reviewed! You motivate me to write quickly so keep going! I'm going to see the new Thor movie tomorrow night so I'm sure I will get enough inspiration to keep this story good for you all! :D


	3. Ice

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Asgard, to Jotunheim, to Marvel. This is purely for enjoyment and I do not receive any monetary gain from this.

An- Thank you so much for all the follows and reviews! They mean a lot to me! This story takes place long before Thor's coronation, back when Loki was mischievous but still loved his brother. I love innocent Loki :(

* * *

_No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber  
Until I realize that it was you who held me under_

* * *

**_Ice_**

Dinner that night was awkward for Violet. She still hadn't shaken off the feeling she had been left with earlier that day and now she had to pretend she was on the way to being reformed for her parents. Her father scooped a spoonful of noodles onto his plate, piling it high with tomato sauce and parmesan. From beside him, her step-mother clucked her tongue. "You don't need that much cheese, Frank."

"Hmm, you're right. I won't have any the next helping then."

Violet stared down at the noodles on her own plate, unable to bring herself to pour the sauce on them. She couldn't help thinking of Loki standing in her yard, blood on his face as she had stirred the sauce on the stove. Her step-mother had to take over as it had started to bubble and Violet could only stare.

She twirled her sauce-less noodles around on her plate, twirling them around her fork and back around to the opposite side of the plate. As a heap spilled over onto the white, lace table cloth her father sat up and cleared his throat. "Violet," He started, wiping his mustache and chin with a napkin. "Earl told me something rather disturbing today. He said you were being bothered by a man in Joe's?"

Her heart leapt at the mention of Loki and a voice in the back of her mind whispered 'tainted'. How was he in her head? She glanced to the windows that over looked the front yard, wondering if he stood there now, watching as she had dinner with her family, smiling and knowing she could think about nothing but him. "Vi?"

"Yes. I mean, no. He wasn't bothering me."

"Well, who was he?" Her step-mother asked, putting her fork down and leaning closer, assuming the role of the concerned mother. Violet didn't even have the strength to roll her eyes at her. She looked down at her plate and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Earl said you called him a friend? He said he had to be in his 20s...Who do you know that much older than you?"

"Jesus, is that who you were sneaking out with the other night?"

"Mary, please." Frank put his hand on his wife's arm and stared over the table at his daughter. She felt as if the kitchen was growing tighter, the air getting thinner. Her lungs ached. "Violet, you need to be honest with us about this."

Taking a deep shaking breath, she knew what she had to do. She found her fork again, scooped up a bite of noodles and shoved it into her mouth. It felt like sand, but she chewed as if everything was normal. "He was just some creep at the library, followed us to the diner and wanted to ask us out. No big deal."

Mary pursed her lips. "If we were to call Heather's parents, would she tell us the same thing?"

"Uh, yeah...because it's the truth." And it was Heather who had thought up the story just in case Earl went blabbing to her father, which he had apparently. She ate a few more bites, each time fighting the urge to spit them back out before gulping half of the water in her glass. "May I be excused? I got some new books from the library and want to get some reading done."

The two eyed their daughter closely but in the end, Frank nodded and went back to the pasta before him. Violet ignored the stares her step-mother was giving her and hurried to her room, spilling her satchel on her bed. She had immediately left the diner to ran back into the library, looking up any title with the word 'Loki' or 'Asgard'. With one Encyclopedia focusing on the letter 'L' and three other folklore and mythology tomes, Violet tucked her dark hair behind her ear and chewed her lower lip.

She glanced quickly up at the window across the room, the one she had sneaked through so many times before. The lock was still in place and though the sun hadn't completely set yet, she still didn't like the sight of the shadows in the yard. She reached over and quickly shut the curtains before cracking open the Encyclopedia first. She flipped quickly to the entries starting with 'LO' until her eyes fell on the familiar, four letter word. Her vision swam just thinking his name in her head but she focused and read the entry. 'Brother to Thor, son of Odin in Norse Mythology. See Norse Mythology for more information.'

She frowned, looking to the index just in case she missed something. There were no other entries so she tossed it to the floor with a thud, reaching to pull a thick, dusty mythology book into her lap. She thumbed through the numerous pages of Roman and Greek gods, growing more impatient with every page she passed. Her eyes flickered to the top of the page just as 'Norse' passed by. She flipped back quickly and skimmed the short section. It was only a paragraph and could only give her the same information. Son of Odin, brother of Thor but this entry had 'Loki, the trickster god.'

So, he was a trickster? Was this all some sort of cosmic joke to him? That is, if he was a god after all and not some maniac who thinks he's some mythological being. The other two books sat on her quilted bed spread and though her head was begging for answers, she couldn't bring herself to open them. Instead, she pushed them off of her bed and laid back, staring at the bead board ceiling.

So many words jumbled in her head, crashing into each other like boxcars on a run-away train. She was being ridiculous. Of course he wasn't really a god. It was just a myth. He was just some nut job who escaped the looney bin. Biting her lip, Violet rolled onto her side and put her hands under her cheek.

If he was crazy, then how could he pull a chair half way across the room, or make her head swim when she only wanted to put her foot through his gut. Her knuckles tingled as she brushed her thumb over where he had pressed his lips. No. She refused to let him get in her head.

But still, even as her exhaustion crept up on her, Violet couldn't help the image of those green eyes as she drifted.

_She knew she was dreaming instantly. It was the only time she could see her birth mother again and since the woman was sitting on a giant toadstool with swirling colors of the rainbow, Violet was sure she was dreaming. Her mother sat brushing her long black hair, humming a song she couldn't place. _

_Violet called out but her voice was taken as soon as it left her mouth, fluttering like a butterfly away from her. She frowned and clutched at her throat as the woman on the toadstool turned, her body curling outwards into a puff of blue smoke. The rainbow toadstool disappeared in a puff as well and the colors swirled around her, thick and heavy._

_Violet coughed as the swirl of colors dimmed and became clouds of black. She swiped at the fog but it never lifted. Instead, it parted and a figure stepped through. Black curled around Loki's fingers, twisting around him like transparent snakes as he stepped closer. Violet felt her chest tighten and bubble preparing for a scream but it never came. Instead, Loki took her hand, he brought it to his lips but stopped before pressing them to her skin._

_She whimpered and let her eyes close as his tongue slid up the top of her middle finger. He turned her hand over and pressed his mouth to the inside of her wrist, kissing and lapping at the bruises he had made. Her knees felt weak and her stomach twisted violently inside her body. She had never felt anything like this. His lips seared her so hotly she feared she was melting. With his other hand snaking around her hips, Loki moved her body closer to his, their hips pressed hard against one another._

_Her voice betrayed her as she cried out, her eyes snapping open as he dropped her wrist. His fingers pulled at the hair at the nape of her neck, tipping her head back until she was completely in his control. Her arms hung weak and limp at her side and if his arm wasn't braced against the small of her back, she was sure she would have sunk to the floor._

_Those green eyes shone like ice and Violet recalled seeing that exact color in a book about Antarctica, the icy waters swirling with blues and a green so cold she could feel the chill just from pictures. She shivered in his arms and he stared down at her, his eyes narrowing into slits. "I am Loki, son of Odin and heir to the throne of Asgard and you will. Be. Mine." His mouth claimed hers as his words sank into her core. Their eyes locked and she trembled under his stare before he broke the gaze, letting his eyes shut. Her lips felt instantly bruised by the attack but all she could do was allow him to continue the onslaught. He pulled her closer, fingers sliding up the back of her shirt, his touch as cold as ice. She gasped as his tongue slid against hers and felt an unfamiliar heat pool in the center of her being. He pulled her head to the side and pulled at the bit of flesh of her hip, his fingers digging painfully. _

_Ice poured from his mouth and into her lungs, both searing and freezing her insides. She felt it spread through her body, finding every hidden vein and crevice. It poured into her until she felt as if she herself was ice. She knew she should be fighting against him, trying to run but her muscles protested, heavy as marble._

_Her body protested her head's demands to move, to flee. She wanted this. She wanted to be his. Loki groaned against her mouth and pulled away so suddenly, Violet felt her arms finally move. She reached out as he turned, the edge of his form dissolving into the same smoke he had come from. Her hand passed right through him and she was falling._

Violet woke abruptly as she fell onto the floor, landing awkwardly on the pile of library books. One jutted into her hips and she winced in pain as she tried to slide it out from under her. As she looked down, she gasped and shot straight to her feet, collapsing against the back of her bedroom door. All of the books were open, each to the entries she had been desperately searching for earlier.

She licked her lips, tasting something foreign, something that definitely was not tonight's pasta. She pressed a finger to her lips and shivered as chills rolled down her spine. They were cold as if she had pressed an ice cube to them for several minutes, but that was impossible. It had been a dream...that's all. She had been sleep walking, opened the pages of the books and slipped, waking herself up. Just. A Dream.

So, who had been kissing her so hard she could taste blood in her mouth and ice on her lips?

* * *

**AN**- Thank you again for following and reviewing! I'm going to try to update at least weekly so keep an eye peeled ;)


	4. Haunted

**_Haunted_**

* * *

_Long lost words whisper slowly to me_  
_Still can't find what keeps me here_  
_When all this time I've been so hollow inside_  
_I know you're still there_

_._

* * *

.

.

'_..you will. Be. Mine'_

"For heaven's sake, Violet. Are you..." Mary pursed her lips and looked around the grocery store to check if the coast was clear before continuing. "Are you high?"

Violet reeled back as if she had been slapped before scoffing in disbelief. It was bad enough that she had to join the woman on the bi-weekly grocery trips, but now she had to stand there and be accused of doing drugs? She pursed her lips in annoyance. "No. I am not." She pulled the sleeves of her vest down and rubbed her hands over the suede. She hadn't felt warm since before last night, despite the June heat that could melt the asphalt.

"You've barely said two words to me since last night. Usually you've commented on my driving, the way I dress...at least tell me you hate whatever I'm picking out like you usually do." She sounded genuinely hurt and concerned. The woman turned toward the cereal boxes, trying to hide the crease between her thin eyebrows. Violet sighed, her anger diminishing and scrubbed her face with her palms, digging them into her eyes until she saw stars. "I'm sorry. I'm just..."

Freaked out. Scared shitless. Constantly aroused by the idea of Loki finding her again.

Violet paled as the last thought filled her mind. She pressed her knees together as her body responded to the swirl of thoughts of him and her dream flooded her mind. "I had some bad dreams last night...about my mother." It wasn't a total lie, but she hated using her mother as an excuse or a way to get people off of her back. It felt wrong. Mary pursed her lips and put a box of what Violet could only assume was cardboard shavings, judging by the bowl of brown squares on the front, into the cart.

"I know your mother's death was very hard on you, and it can't be easy seeing your father with someone else," The woman pushed the cart onward and Violet mentally kicked herself for dredging up old discussions. Every day was a lesson to be taught and a lesson to be learned, her step-mother's famous motto. As they rounded the corner onto the canned good aisle, Violet felt as if she had been hit by a truck. She stared, frozen to the scuffed tile floor, down the aisles of food.

Standing at the opposite end of the super market, between the milk and produce, was Loki. He was no longer in 'normal' attire and had a thick, leather chest piece, black pants that clung to his legs and a dark, green cloak that pooled around his feet. She gasped and stumbled back into a display as her body responded to the sight of him. She felt as if she had been hooked through the gut and he was slowly reeling her in.

He looked like a lunatic. How could no one else notice him?

"...Violet? Violet! What are you doing?" Mary stepped back around the corner and her body blocked the view of him, breaking whatever spell he had pulled over her. Violet took a deep, shaking breath as if she had been held under water for several minutes. She felt as if she had just been shaken from a coma, taking another deep breath as she stared up into her step-mother's frantic eyes.

She wasn't prepared for this. Not here in the middle of Walton's Grocers with her step-mother no less. People she went to school with, church goers, her family friends were here. They could not see him affect her like this. Violet pushed herself out of the display she had fallen into, cans of chicken noodle soup rolling away at their feet and she realized how ridiculous she must have looked. Mary grabbed at the girl's hands and dusted her off. "This is getting to be too much, Violet. I am scheduling you an appointment with a therapist first thing tomorrow."

"I don't need a therapist."

"You need something!"

"I need..." Her words froze as a realization struck her like a brick in the face. He was doing this on purpose. He was driving her mad, knowing the only way she could find comfort and answers were with him. She would be his, just like he said. Violet was shocked by the guttural sound that vibrated in her chest. She was not going to let him do this to her. God or not, he was going to pay for thinking she was so easily swayed by a few steamy kisses in a dream.

Her face flushed and she glanced at the woman beside her, trying to force calm smiles to the other shoppers. "I need some air. I think I just got too hot." That was the understatement of the year. Clearing her throat, Violet pulled at her vest and hurried up the aisle, ignoring the clucking of Mary's tongue and the stares from the other patrons.

Outside, the air was hot and muggy, like most southern summers but Violet found it comforting, breathing the warmth into her lungs, melting some of the ice inside her. Her head swam as she shaded her eyes from the late evening sun and she tried to focus on how in the world she was going to find Loki. How do you find a trickster god who is hell bent on making you a trophy for a shelf? She pursed her lips, glanced back at the grocery store briefly and hurried out of the parking lot.

She took a turn toward the library, hoping that if she retraced her steps from yesterday, he would be lingering to catch her again. By the time she got to the two story, brick building, the old librarian was closing the doors and locking them behind her. Damn. She forgot it closed early on Tuesday's. The sun had slipped behind the buildings by now and she found herself once again covered in shadows. This time, they did not frighten her.

She wasn't avoiding the god anymore.

Yet, now he was no where to be seen.

"Hey." Violet whirled around, eyes wide and her heart pounding violently beneath her chest. She felt foolish for thinking it could be him. 'Hey' was not something she could imagine Loki saying. Forcing a smile, Violet tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hi, Rafe. How have you been?"

"I'm alright...Hey, sorry about the other night. Jack kept freaking me out about aliens and shit. We wouldn't have left if we didn't think you would be alright." He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced around the empty street. Violet stared incredulously, but his words didn't surprise her. He had never been the smartest guy at school and now the more she looked at him, the more she realized how stupid she had been about him. It had only been a few days since she was so excited about seeing him, since she had taken those steps toward the woods, and since she had met Loki. Everything was so different now.

Scoffing, Violet shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "It's fine. I scared myself really. But, there was nothing to be afraid of." She spoke louder than normal, just in case the god was within listening range. "I just saw a big pussy cat and it startled me. Nothing to worry myself over." The wind changed as she spoke, shifted and picked up speed. It pulled her hair over her shoulders, letting it tangle behind her back. Whether he noticed or not, Rafe didn't let on. He smiled and nodded like a wind-up toy.

"Uhm, I'm glad I ran into you."

"Oh?" She took a step back and leaned against the railing of the library steps. Her eyes darted back and forth between the shadows and she hoped she could rest on a familiar shape, a flash of green eyes...anything really.

"Yeah. I was hoping we could talk the other night, but the whole meteorite thing...Anyway, do you...uh, do you want to go somewhere more private?" Rafe cleared his throat and pushed the tight sleeve of his white, T-shirt up his bicep. A move like that would have sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach last week. Violet smiled and shrugged. "Sure. Where did you have in mind?"

"My truck's right around the corner. We could go for a drive."

Oh, her step-mother would be fuming if she found out about this. She could almost hear the woman's words of warning in her ear. Ignoring it, Violet nodded and looped her hand around Rafe's elbow, letting him lead her to the parking lot behind the library. She climbed into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her. Rafe followed, cranked the engine to life and put it in gear. They reversed out of the parking spot and Violet turned to stare out at the library as they passed. As the street lamp flared to life, Rafe's truck lurched and took a right, circling around the front of the building.

She nearly fell out of the seat as she pressed her hands against the glass. Loki stood at the steps, staring after them. She wanted to sneer at him, to stick her tongue out and tell him that it would take more than a few dream kisses for her to ever be his...but the look of pure anger and fire in his eyes made her cower back. She spun around in the seat and watched as he stepped down off the steps, never taking his glare off of her. Even from a distance, it sent a wave of foreign feelings rolling through her body and she wondered if she would ever claim them for her own again.

Maybe provoking a god wasn't such a good idea.

.

.


	5. Cornered

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Asgard, to Jotunheim, to Marvel. This is purely for enjoyment and I do not receive any monetary gain from this.

* * *

.Cornered.

_Take another drag turn me to ashes  
Ready for another lie?  
Says he's gonna teach me just what fast is  
Say it's gonna be alright_

* * *

.

.

.

They had been driving for more than half an hour and though Violet knew she shouldn't be afraid, she was nervous. Rafe wasn't like the other idiots at school. He was kind and sweet and anyone who resembled a puppy dog couldn't be that threatening, right? But, they had crossed over into a different county now and Violet chewed her lip, wondering if she should have told someone where she was going.

The sky was cloudy and tonight no stars shone through. It made her feel uneasy as they bounced along an unfamiliar dirt road, the head lights bouncing off the gravel and endless bushes in either side of them. "So, where are we going?"

"Oh, my dad and his buddy's rent a hunting lodge. It's pretty cool this time of year."

"Ah." She turned in the leather seat and glanced out the back for the hundredth time since she had seen Loki standing in front of the Library. Maybe he decided she wasn't worth his chase and went back to Asgard, or the insane asylum where he belonged. She didn't want to admit how much that thought pained her and decided instead to focus on Rafe. They pulled up to a yard that looked as if had been neglected for a while and the headlights lit up a house front. It was big, but run down.

The shutters were barely hanging on by their rusting hinges and Violet couldn't help the sudden feeling of apprehension that welled up inside her. She should not have come. Still, she couldn't demand Rafe just take her back to town now. He was a good guy. She'd be alright.

As she stepped from the truck, a can spilled out onto the tall grass and she reached to pick it up. It reeked of alcohol and she could tell it had been fresh. Great. He had been drinking. Rolling her eyes at herself, she decided to just call her dad as soon as they got inside and have him pick her up.

Rafe walked calmly up the stairs to the cabin and pulled the screen door open. It hit the wall beside him with a bang and Violet jumped a bit. He was quiet as he stepped inside and turned a bare bulb lamp on. On the porch still, she debated on just running away...but, he would definitely catch her. She could always use her self-defense tactics if things went sour.

Sighing, Violet stepped into the cabin and had to squint her eyes in the sudden light. She whirled as the front door slammed and caught Rafe twisting the two dead bolts ominously. "Uhm."

"Hello, Violet." A voice behind her sent her spinning in the room again and she blinked at the sight of Jack. He was leaning against a post that separated the kitchen from the massive living room. "Jack?"

"Sorry about the other night...but we couldn't risk being seen by anyone. I can't go to jail over a little bit of pot, and since your dad is a cop, we had to leave...but, we need whatever it is you found in the woods." His words were as confusing as Loki's, but not near as attractive to her ears. She blinked at the greasy haired boy and folded her arms over her chest.

"Come again?"

"The meteorite. We need it. We're going to sell it to the highest bidder and get out of this fucking hell-hole." Jack pushed his hand through his shoulder length hair and flicked his eyes over her shoulder to Rafe. Surely, they had to be joking.

"You're going to sell a meteorite? I think you have been smoking too much. No one is going to pay for a meteorite." She rolled her eyes and made a move toward the door, but was blocked by Rafe's broad chest. He stared down at her, his puppy eyes looking more sinister with the light casting shadows over them.

Jack stepped further into the room, heading toward Violet. "Heather's told us you've been acting weird, avoiding her, talking to strange men in the diner. We know you've found something and we want it."

"I did find something strange, you're right. But, I can assure you, you don't want it." She scoffed and wished she had just jumped out of the car when she had seen Loki at the library. She wished she had ran to his arms and told him he could have whatever he wanted. She shook her head, knowing those kinds of thoughts were going to get her into some serious trouble.

It was funny to her how the thought of invoking Loki's wrath was more frightening a thought than these two morons. Shrugging, Violet moved toward the door again. This time, Rafe grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved. She stumbled back into the room a few steps until she slammed into Jack's arms. He pressed her back against his chest and held her arms in place around her stomach.

His feet weren't in a proper placing for her to stomp and suddenly, Violet felt the cold chill of fear spread through her. "Look, guys. I didn't find anything. I wasn't offered any sort of money and I'm not trying to keep it from you." She tried to keep her voice steady, but her words cracked as she searched the room for any exit she could get to. There was nothing but a hallway and the kitchen.

"Then, what hit the trees, Violet? Hmm? We're not stupid. Something landed on this earth, you know what it is and you're keeping it from us." Jack snarled in her ear and his breath wafted over her face. It smelled of alcohol and smoke and she choked on the horrible scent. Her stomach churned and she tried to buck him off of her. Jack scoffed in her ear and shoved her into Rafe's open arms. He picked her up off the ground and made his way through the living room with her feet dangling and kicking.

"Ugh, put me down!" He released her and let her fall on the moth-ridden couch, a spring slipping through the fabric and piercing her side. She gasped and tried not to scream as she pulled the metal out from her flesh. "Fuck! You bastards." Jack flicked a knife open and stared down at her.

"Tell us where the meteorite is."

"I don't have anything! Please! I'm hurt and I just want to go home." She felt her world pitch around her and the room spun. The pain in her side was searing through her. Blood was seeping through her shirt, but it wasn't enough to cause her to slip into a full blown panic. She had to keep her wits about her to find an escape.

"We know you have it, Violet." Rafe finally spoke, rubbing the back of his neck as if he were starting to second guess himself. He was definitely not the brains of their little operation. Violet stared up from the couch, glancing between the two of them. Jack knelt down and traced the tip of the switch blade across her jaw. The metal was cold, but instead of frightening her, the chill was comforting.

She leaned into it slightly just enough to feel the metal against her skin, the blade's edge pressing into her cheek. The boy growled and stood to his feet. "Bitch. We know you're hiding something and you are going to tell us where it is!"

"I'm right here." That velvet voice sent a wave of glorious chills across her body and she felt her entire body react to his entrance. Jack and Rafe both whirled around, the switchblade striking through the air. From the couch, Violet heard the crack of what sounded like bone, the knife clanging against the floor and Jack fell to his knees, holding his now broken wrist in pain. His arm was bent in a sickening angle and Violet stared with wide eyes.

Loki didn't miss a beat as he stepped back and kicked his foot out, slamming the heel of his boot into Jack's jaw. It cracked loudly and he crumpled to the ground at her feet. Rafe was ready for the swing and blocked Loki's fist, swinging his own and missing wildly.

The football player was big, but slow and his fists moved through the air like ham hocks. Loki ducked once, dodged to the right and snatched Rafe's arm out of the air twisting at the elbow until the lunk was howling in pain. He kicked out again, connecting with Rafe's ribs. He grunted as the force of the hit sent him flying toward the kitchen.

Loki's lips twisted up in a cruel smile as he stepped across the room. He moved as soundlessly as mist and Violet felt her pulse race in her veins as she watched him fight. He grabbed Rafe by the hair and brought his knee up quick. Blood erupted from Rafe's lip and he fell to the ground in a heap.

The air was thick in the cabin as if a storm had been brewing under the ceiling and the atmosphere felt sticky and hot. Violet stood from the couch, clutching her side. It had stopped bleeding but she felt her head swim as she rose on wobbling legs. Across the room, Loki kicked Rafe once more in the ribs with the toe of his boot before straightening. His clothes were just as they had been in the grocery store and Violet wondered how soft the fabric of that cape was.

Loki turned as she stepped up to him, his eyes darting over her face and down to the blood seeping through her white peasant shirt. "You're hurt." He stated, pressing a hand to her side. His touch was cold and made her breath catch in her throat. She waved him off. "It's not as bad as it looks. Not deep or anything. I just need to get it sterilized and maybe some stitches."

Loki pursed his lips and glanced back down at the two unconscious boys on the floor. "I could kill them if you wish." His words were quiet and it should have alarmed her how serious he was.

Violet laughed instead, shaking her head. "That won't be necessary. Besides, a god doesn't take orders from a mortal, remember?" The corner of his lips twitched slightly and left her wondering if that was as close to a genuine smile as she was ever going to get. Then again, why did she want more? Her head felt heavy and every muscle ached, drained from the rush of adrenaline. She was getting tired of the highs her body put her through, especially when she crashed afterwards. In less than a week, her life had flipped completely upside down, spiraled out of normal and headed straight into bizarre and it left her constantly dizzy. Her temples ached as she tried not to think about it too hard.

There was no point in over-analyzing it now. Two of her former classmates had attacked her, she was being stalked by a god who wanted to claim her entire existence as his, and she wasn't entirely sure she didn't want him to. Pressing her fingers to her temples, Violet leaned against the post Jack had been propped against when she first walked into the cabin. "Loki?" She asked, her voice quiet and strained.

He moved his eyes to hers, his body still tense just in case either of the two figures on the ground decided to stir. She sighed, letting her hands drop to her sides. "I can't even begin to unscramble all the questions in my head, but the one I'm most curious about is, why me?"

"Why not you? Your fate is not carved out in stone, nor is mine. There's no use wondering the why of any situation. But, if you want a simpler answer," He turned his body toward her then, his eyes meeting hers and piercing through her like a knife through her gut. She wanted to be terrified, wanted to fight and run like she had in the woods. But, it was too late for a fight now. "Because you were there. You were the first mortal I laid eyes on." His answer did not ease her worry. It made it worse somehow.

She pushed it aside for the moment and moved on to her next question, the one she wasn't entirely sure she wanted the answer for. "What...exactly do you want to do with me? Am I going to be your slave, answer your every want and desire and do whatever, right then and there?" The words were heavy in her mouth and made her skin tingle as she heard them out loud.

Loki hmmed and gave his shoulders a slight shrug. "That's a nice start."

"And after that? When you're tired of me and want a different distraction. What would happen to me?"

"Why do you need to know these answers? I cannot give them to you."

"Well, I need these answers. Because, I have my own life...I'm my own person and no offense, but up until yesterday, I didn't even know you existed. I'm still not sure if you are even who you say you are. I'm scared, I'm confused...I'm not sure anymore if I even want you to leave me alone now. You terrify me, threaten me, invade into my life and subconscious and then save me like a hero? Who _are_ you?" She lifted her eyes to him, searching for anything in his face to give him away. But, there was nothing human she could grasp onto.

He still looked very much like the wolf and she still felt very much like the rabbit, only this time he had her cornered. Shrinking back against the post at her spine, Violet studied the designs on the front of his chest, the strips of soft emerald against the harsh leather, the smooth, cold armor at his sides. Her hands moved on their own and she slid her fingers up his sides, finding cool then warmth as he twirled a strand of her hair around his middle finger. "You know who I am, Violet." It was the first time he had spoken her name, and it tumbled from his lips like a blade, cracking the wall she was desperately trying to keep up around her. "I could make you feel things you could never imagine, pleasures that would make you feel as if the universe was unraveling at the seams." His voice was low now, right beside her ear. She could feel his breath on her jaw and his hand slid up her neck. "Let me rule you."

A whimper escaped her lips as he slipped his thumb under her chin, tipping her head up. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes. Her fingers trembled and she curled them around the fabric on his chest to steady them. The pad of his thumb traced her lower lip and she felt him move, stepping toward her until his body was pressing against hers. She could feel the bulk of his armor against her thighs, the cuffs around his wrists against her chest. It was a stark contrast to the smooth touch of his hands.

And then he was gone.

She felt naked and exposed and covered herself as her eyes snapped open. She was still in the cabin and Rafe was stirring at her feet, groaning and pulling his head into his hands as a car door slammed outside. Her heart thudded wildly and she realized that she should probably run. Still, she could only stare as the door opened wide and a burly man took two steps inside, glanced from her to the boys on the floor and let the case of beer in his hands hit the hardwood beneath him.

AN- Ah, kind of a cliffhanger there. I do apologize! Thank you so much for all the follows and reviews! It means a lot to me!


	6. Power

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Marvel Universe and receive no monetary gain from this story.

AN- I feel like I should give a warning for this chapter. Yes, this story is rated M but so far it hasn't been very sexually mature. This chapter is however. Enjoy it (I know I enjoyed writing it!)

* * *

_And I told you to be patient,  
And I told you to be fine,  
And I told you to be balanced,  
And I told you to be kind,  
And in the morning I'll be with you,  
But it will be a different kind,  
'Cause I'll be holding all the tickets,  
And you'll be owning all the fines._

.

.

.

"I already told you everything. Why are you making me repeat this over and over?"

A county investigator stood from the metal chair and filled a paper cup up with water from a cooler in the corner of the interrogation room. Violet had been in this room before, never on this end of the table, though. Her father spent so many nights at the police station, she knew the halls like the back of her hand.

But, being an officer's daughter meant nothing when being question for assault. Violet sighed and brushed a strand of messy dark hair away from her face, the movement making the cut at her side stretch. She winced and shrunk back into the chair, hoping she hadn't opened the wound again. They had given her a large band aid and some gauze, telling her after a brief glance of inspection that it wasn't deep enough to require stitches.

Still, it hurt and she was tired. After being questioned for the past thirty minutes, she was ready to be intercepted by her father and to go home. The investigator gulped the water down and tossed the cup toward the trash bin, missing it by a foot. It clattered to the floor but he paid no attention. "Ms. White, tell me again why you were in Mr. Steven's cabin?" He leaned over the table, palms face down. She could see water droplets on his mustache and his glasses made his eyes look twice their normal size.

"For the love of God, I told you. Rafe saw me outside the library, asked if I wanted to talk and I said sure. I didn't know it would be at his cabin. He and Jack had been drinking and they attacked me. I...fought back." Of course she couldn't tell him the truth. They would lock her up real nice and tight in a straight jacket if she began spouting off about an immortal man who came to her rescue.

She opened her mouth to tell him that she was ready to leave when the door to the interrogation room shot open and her father, red faced and fuming stepped in. "Frank." The investigator started, standing straight.

"What in God's name is going on? You're interrogating my daughter?"

"Now, Frank. She was found in Danny Steven's cabin, covered in blood with Rafe and Jack Jones on the floor. Jack's in the ER, but Rafe gave his testimony. They're talking about pressing charges."

Violet slammed her hands on the table in front of her. "Pressing charges?! I was the one attacked!"

"This is ridiculous. You're telling me that a 150 pound girl took down two boys, one being a quarterback all by herself?"

"_One-Forty_, dad." Violet rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest, frowning as the mustached man looked between the two and sighed. He took his glasses off, pinched the bridge of his nose and set the pair of bi-focals on the table. "Look, Frank, you know I can't divulge information, but the kid is saying she wasn't alone. Something about a guy who came in and beat the living stew out of them. The Jones' boy has a dislocated jaw and a broken arm, Frank...This could have been much worse, but it's still pretty damn bad." He turned his eyes to Violet, eyebrows lifting as if to tell her that if she knew anything else, now was the time to tell him.

She tried to keep her poker face, but inside her head was screaming. A part of her wanted to confess it all, to tell them she was being stalked and she didn't know what to do...But, a restraining order wouldn't work on someone who could materialize out of thin air and visit her in her dreams. She could kill Loki for leaving her there, and not just for teasing her and disappearing like usual.

As soon as the man in front of her took his eyes away from her, she chewed her lower lip and glanced up at her dad. "They had been drinking. I found beer cans in Rafe's truck."

Her father glared down at her in disappointment and she sighed. It was a damned if she did, damned if she didn't situation right now. She wondered if she should just keep her mouth shut altogether. The two men discussed the next few courses of actions to be taken and the mention of lawyers made Violet's fingers start to tremble. She could only glance between the two men who seemed so much bigger than her. All too quickly though, Frank pulled her by her elbow out of the chair. She was lead through the police station by her uncomfortably quiet father. He never let go of her jacket as he pulled her through the rows of desks and out into the humid night. A man was being pulled from a police cruiser in handcuffs, and Violet stared, not wanting to look into the stoic face of her father.

He was silent, which was never a good sign. He was always trying to start a conversation with her, even if it was about things she didn't care about like the weather or news. She climbed into the back of his cruiser and hugged her knees to her chest. Her eyes burned and she squeezed them tight, struggling to stop the sob that tightened in her throat. She hated herself for crying now. It was something she reserved for things truly deserving of it; deaths, weddings, babies being born...not for stupid situations that she was responsible for.

It was useless to try to keep the tears back.

But still, she sobbed into her knees as quietly as she could, reserving the loudest sobs for when the scanner went off. The drive wasn't as long as she hoped. She wiped her eyes with her palms and lifted her head as the car turned onto their subdivision. It was still in the process of being finished and the road was to be paved after all of the houses had been built. The car bumped along the gravel and she pulled her legs down, hoping her step-mother would spare her wrath until the morning.

All Violet wanted to do was crawl between her sheets and sleep, hopefully uninterrupted by dreams of insatiable gods this time. She followed her still silent father into the house and he shut the front door behind her. Her step-mother was standing in the foyer, her purple, terry cloth robe pulled tight around her waspish waist. "What happened? Is she alright?" Violet brushed past the woman with a sigh and wiped the tears that clung to her eyelashes. "Frank? Talk to me."

She shut her door, muffling their voices enough so that she couldn't make out the words unless she tried. Without bothering with her clothes, Violet collapsed on her bed, kicking the encyclopedia and folklore books off the foot board. She didn't want to see, hear or think the word Loki. Her tears spilled out from under her closed eyes, seeping into the pillows. Outside her door, her father and step-mother began shouting.

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It was still dark when she cracked her eyes open, sore from crying so hard a few hours before. They were puffy and tender. She rubbed at the corners gently. Violet sniffed and tried to settle back into a comfortable position, bringing her blankets up to her shoulders. She closed her eyes but quickly opened them again as a slow, creeping cold slid down her neck. Someone was in her room.

Spinning in the sheets, she shot her hand out and flicked the lamp on in her room, biting back the scream that threatened in her chest. Loki sat under the window across the room, his back against the wall with his legs up and his elbows propped on his knees. His armor and leather attire made him appear so big in her room and she felt as if the walls were closing in on them.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed as soon as her pulse slowed, hoping it was late enough that her parents would be dead asleep.

"I came to see if you were alright."

"No, I am not alright. I was arrested. Because of you." She wanted to shut up, but the words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them. "I am losing my mind, because of you. Why are you doing this to me? Is this what gods do? Just sit around thinking about the infinite possibilities to fuck us mortals up? Go back to Asgard, or wherever you came from, Loki. Please." She shook her head, unable to keep her eyes off his face. It was softer tonight, relaxed from the usual piercing gaze. He didn't move.

"I'm not interested in returning to Asgard."

"Well, that's your problem, not mine. You have managed to turn my life into a nightmare in less than a week. Was that what you wanted?" He didn't answer, keeping his eyes focused on her closet door as if he could make it melt under his gaze. She knew very well that he probably could. She was still reeling from the effects he had on her. Even being in the same room was torture. His jaw clenched tightly. "I don't care what you wanted, really. I just want my life back."

"I promise you heaven, and you refuse me?"

He turned his gaze to her now and she felt him chipping away again at her walls. No. She couldn't let him do it. Nodding, she stared down at the blanket on her lap. He rose to his feet, his height making her small room shrink even more around them. It made her light headed and she tried to get a deep breath to steady her nerves. She wondered how long he had been sitting there, watching her sleep, looking around at her pictures and childhood trophies. Did he feel as out of place as he looked? She wondered what his room could possibly look like, if he even had one at all. Was he out of place there as well? Was that why he was here, torturing her?

Loki looked down at her, searing her once more with his stare until she thought she couldn't bare it anymore. She felt the ice cracking in her veins, brittle and poking her skin from the inside. Her lungs ached for air, but she could do nothing but watch as he crossed the room in two steps. His fingers reached for her, tracing the line of her jaw until he curled his thumb under her chin and tilted her head back. She drew in a shaky breath at last, her chest heaving violently.

"I am not one to take a refusal so lightly. I will repeat myself one last time, little dove." With a flash, the armor around his wrists glinted in the dim, lamp light as his arm wound around the small of her back. He lifted her completely off the mattress and the sheets fell from her body to spill onto the floor at his feet. With his hand still gripping her neck and the other holding her against him, Loki drew his face close to hers. She inhaled his scent deeply and it raced through her like lightning, igniting her senses. "You will be mine." He whispered, filling the four little words with such dark promises that sent Violet teetering on the edge of sanity. She didn't think she could bare anymore. Her body was pulled tight like a bow string and she needed to be plucked. And just when she thought he was going to disappear in another swirling fog, his lips brushed hers lightly. He was barely pressing against her at all, contrasting drastically to the bruising kiss they had shared in her dream. She needed more. A mix between a whimper and moan bubbled in her throat and she untangled her arms from his, inching her fingers up his chest, hoping she could grip something to pull him closer.

His mouth was cold, as if he had been standing outside in the dead of winter for hours. He tasted like falling snow and Violet sighed in relief as her fingers curled around the collar around his neck. She pulled at it, wanting to feel him over her, wanting him to press those lips all over her body. She had never wanted anything more. Throwing away every inhibition she had, Violet managed to lift herself up enough to take his bottom lip between her teeth, biting the flesh as tenderly as she could allow herself. In that moment, she wanted to devour him.

All too quickly, he pulled away despite her grip around his neck. She sucked in a breath as her fingers slipped free and she collapsed back against her bed. The corner of the god's lips were twisted upwards and he traced his bottom lip where she had bitten him. Violet cried out as he stepped back, the edges of him dissolving into inky tendrils. She dug her fingers into the edge of her mattress and watched, unable to do nothing more than stare as he disappeared and she was alone in her room.

She stared at the spot he had last stood, willing him to come back. But he didn't. An alarm clock beeped from across the house, echoing through the closed doors. The sun had started peeking over the horizon and turned the yard outside her windows grey and blue. Her father would be waking up, putting a pot of coffee on and as he read the morning paper before work, he would have no idea that a god had been under his roof, claiming his daughter for his wicked games.

"Heimdall." Loki barked, his voice carrying through the quiet dawn. He stood in the circle he had arrived in and crossed his arms over his chest. It wasn't but a moment later before his call had been answered and a warm, glow shrouded his body. He felt the pitch in his chest, pulling him through the cosmos and endless miles of space. Shutting his eyes, Loki braced himself for arrival and took a deep breath seconds before his feet found the floor beneath him.

He stepped out of the portal, giving no thanks or acknowledgment to Heimdall, who stared at the passing Prince with a tight lipped glare. His golden eyes swirled as he watched Loki storm out. "You've been absent for a while, Loki."

"And what business is it of yours? Keep your eyes where they're welcome and off of me." Loki snapped from over his shoulder. The guardian had always gotten under his skin, assuming he was granted the right to question gods because he had the ability to spy a bee across eons of cosmos. The prince turned back to the Bifrost with a sneer and marched, his steps vibrating the swirling pattern beneath him.

Asgard looked as it always did, bright and glittering. His steps slowed as he studied the castle from the bridge. It was odd seeing things so blinding. He had grown accustomed to the dim, false light of Earth in the few days he had spent away. It unsettled him how much he wished to turn back and return. He hadn't intended to let a human girl get under his skin the way Violet had. He had had his share of women, all falling to his feet with one flick of his eyes.

But she...She refused him. He felt as if he had been slapped, his ego stinging as she ordered him away. She dared order a prince, like he was some house servant who had spilled her wine. Hah. He scoffed to himself as he hurried up the castle steps, ignoring the 'hellos' of his subjects as he passed.

With a right turn, Loki pushed open the marble doors to his wing of the castle and descended the stairs, not bothering to slam them shut behind him. The servants never liked to keep the doors open and they would be along in no time to close them. The cold of his dungeon might tarnish the beautiful Asgard paradise. Loki pushed his bedroom door open with one hand as his left made quick work of the buckles along his ribs. He pulled his armor off, dropping it to the floor with a thud. His tunic was thin, and dark, hanging off of his thin frame like drapes. He pulled at the hem and threw it over his head, leaving it wherever it landed before collapsing on his bed.

He had grown weary on earth, using up his energy and power for the tricks it took to get that insufferable girl to succumb to him. And just when he had managed to crack the wall she put up between them, she sent him away. Sent him away like some buzzing fly. Loki pressed his lips tightly together and rolling onto his back, drummed his fingers against his chest. He was sure that Violet would have begged him to stay, but he couldn't let her think she could rule over him in any way. No. She would be begging for more than just him in the end.

He wanted to break her, push her beyond anything she could ever imagine, and claim her mind, body and soul. Touching his middle finger to his lips, he could still feel where she had bitten him. He had enjoyed that immensely, much to his disbelief. No one had ever taken him by surprise like that before and it only fueled the desire that raged inside him at the very thought of her.

He closed his eyes and let his hand travel downwards, over his chest and along the bumps and ridges of his ribs. He could feel the familiar pool of heat swirling inside him, calling for the sweet release he desperately needed. The drawstrings of his pants were pulled tight over his hardness, but he stilled his hand on the small strip of hair that stretched beneath. Loki was not used to rejection. It had never happened to him. And now, with Violet's trembling whimpers still in his ears, it was like throwing fuel on an inferno.

He inhaled sharply and slid his eyes shut, pushing his hand beneath the tied strings of his pants. Just his own touch sent a wave of pleasure rocking through him. He fell back against the down of his pillows and bucked his hips. With one hand encircling his cock, he pulled at the strings of his pants, tugging until he was free, the rush of cool air sending his hips upward again. He thrust into his own hand, his heels digging into the sheets beneath him as thoughts of Violet swirled into his head. The way her hands had pawed at him, her chest pressing against hers and those lips on his. Loki gasped as the heat coiled inside him and his body begged for the release.

He thought of how she would look when he finally took her, bent over his bed, crying his name, begging for the pleasure he had promised her. He took his bottom lip between his teeth, biting as his chest heaved. It wasn't long, with the thoughts of her to fuel the flames, before Loki cried out and felt himself unraveling. Breathless and exhausted, he fell back into his pillows, furious that from across the realms, she still held a power over him that he had never felt.

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AN- Thanks so much for reading! Sorry if this chapter was a bit..._much_. But, I couldn't help myself :)


	7. Escape

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing, as usual. If only I did own Loki...*sighs* The things I would do. Ahem. Sorry, on with the chapter now.

**AN**- Trigger warning for this chapter for rape. Just wanted to warn you in case the subject matter is too much. I don't want anyone to be overwhelmed.

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_**Escape**_

_Meet me in outerspace _  
_We could spend the night, watch the earth come up _  
_I've grown tired of that place, wont you come with me _  
_We could start again _

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_._

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Violet stared at the television as the local news report blared through the den. The anchor woman was blissfully unaware of the glob of mascara that was stuck in the corner of her eye but it was all Violet could focus on. She didn't hear a word the woman said, or much of anything else until her step mother clucked her tongue. "Such a shame. This world is going to hell in a hand basket."

The camera switched angles and the mascara blob was out of the picture. Violet blinked and stared down at her fingers as she tucked her legs under her and repositioned her blanket. It had been six days since the incident with Loki in her bedroom. Six days since he had kissed her had passed and still her lips were cold from his.

She had been like a ghost the past week, floating from one coversation to the next, never connecting and worrying the hell out of her parents. Luckily, they assumed it was about the incident with Rafe and Jack. That was the last thing she was thinking about. Mostly, she kept wondering if she would ever see him again. She had told him to get out of her life, but his last words sounded anything but final. She shivered and pulled the blanket up to her chin, watching the news program switch to a special on wild life conservation. If his promise to have her was true, then where was he?

A hand pressed against her forehead and she jerked back, glaring up at her step mother. "Are you feeling well? You don't have a fever do you?"

"I'm fine." She waved the woman off and pushed herself from the couch. Her stomach was protesting her lack of appetite and she knew if she didn't eat something, she would feel worse. The kitchen was an L shaped room, with the fridge and oven running along one side and the pantry cabinets along the other. Violet stared into the fridge, unable to decide on anything in particular. It all seemed so bland.

The living room was on the other side of the wall and though their voices were hushed, Violet could still hear her parents bickering. She hated it when her step mother whispered about her when she left the room. Her fingers clenched around the fridge's handle and she closed her eyes. "Frank, something is wrong." Mary hissed from the other room, thinking the volume of the television hid her words. "I think she might have been...taken advantage of."

She heard the swish of her father's news paper as he folded it down. "Jesus, Mary. Not everything is like one of your soap operas. She would have told us if anything like that had happened."

"Oh really? There are pamphlets of this exact thing at the clinic and she already had several of the tell-tale signs! Girls aren't always truthful about this. It makes them feel ashamed and they hide it." Oh, for God's sake. Violet shut the fridge and rounded the corner. Her step mother's back was turned to her and her body blocked her father from noticing. "Something happened to her with those boys."

"Nothing happened!" She hadn't meant to shout, but the words spewed from her mouth too fast for her to stop. "I wasn't raped, I wasn't hurt, I'm not depressed. Stop bringing me home pamphlets about sexual assault or suicide prevention."

Frank hurried to his feet and discarded the paper in the chair behind him. He stood tall, but only an inch or so above Violet. She remembered when she was a little girl, looking up at him. He had seemed so big, like a giant who would never let anything happen to her. When he used to hoist her on his shoulders, she would feel like she could see forever. But, now, standing in the middle of the den, next to the hearth, he looked so small. "Darling, we're just worried about you. You don't talk to us anymore and we want to help you with what you're going through."

She couldn't help the harsh, bitter laugh that bubbled from her chest. Nothing she could say would make a difference. They assumed it was a matter of emotions and hormones. How could she possibly explain the truth to them? What teenager ever spilled their problems to their parents? What she needed was...Violet felt like she had just been slapped. Heather. How could she forget about Heather? Surely, if her parents couldn't understand, then her best friend could.

Sighing, she nodded. "I need some air. I'm going to take a walk."

Mary clucked her tongue in disapproval, but her father nodded. "Just be back before dark, please."

Violet hurried to her room, stripping out of her pajama shorts. She slipped into a pair of jeans and buttoned them before snatching a few of the mythology books under her arm. She raced out of the house and knew she had only about three hours before dark. Surely, she had enough time to delve into all that she needed to. It was only a thirty minute walk to Heather's two story house but running, she had made it in fifteen. Violet caught her breath on the wrap around porch and smoothed her hair down around her shoulders before ringing the doorbell. Heather's mother answered the door with a quick flash of the curtains. She forced a smile that let Violet know instantly that they knew about everything. She could tell the woman was trying to think of an excuse to get her to leave. "Violet...What are you doing here?"

"Vi!" Heather bounded down the stairs and slipped between her mother and the door frame before the woman could turn her away. Violet tried not to notice the scowl on the woman's lips as she shut the door to the porch. "I've been so worried about you."

"I know. I've been a wreck...can we talk?"

"Of course. I was hoping you would come by soon.. Let's go to the tree house." Heather's little brother's tree house had been vacant for a while since the 14 year old had been sent off to a military school after burning down a neighbors barn. There were still porn magazines stashed in various places, but usually Violet and Heather used it for a smoke spot. Like usual, Heather flicked a lighter to the end of a doobie as they settled into the bean bags in the tree house.

She passed it and though Violet knew it would help her feel immensely better, she declined. She needed a clear head for what she was about to say. Shifting in the lumpy blob she sat in, Violet pulled one of the books out and opened it to the nearest page with Loki's name. "The night of the meteor...Well, ok let me start over. That night when I walked in to the woods and you heard me scream...There was someone there. It wasn't a meteorite. It was... a god." Heather paused with a blonde eyebrow raised, the joint in her lips as she stared. She breathed in a deep breath, held and then blew out the cloud in a wracking cough. "I know this sounds so dumb, but look." Violet slid the book around to face her best friend.

Heather leaned down to glance over a page as Violet pointed a finger to Loki's name before tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "His name is Loki. He's from Asgard."

"The man from the diner?!" Heather's blue eyes were as wide as saucers.

Scratching her chin, Violet nodded. She had almost forgotten about that, the way she stood up to him, so defiant. How far she had fallen since then. "He...he has it in his head that I'm his. Because I was the first person he saw when he got here. He has been in my dreams, popping up in the grocery store, the library, even my own bedroom." From beside her, the blonde reached out and snatched Violet's hand.

"Oh my God. You-"

"No. We..." Her cheeks flushed as she realized what Heather was assuming. "We just kissed." She bit her lip and looked away, moving her stare to the posters of scantily clad women, some completely exposed while others hid their breasts behind their hands. It had never bothered her to see the naked women. The thing that bothered her the most was wondering how many times Heather's little brother had jacked off in the chair she was sitting in.

"Vi...I don't mean to pick sides here, but that man in the diner was amazingly hot. I wanted to climb over the table and let him take me right then."

"Jesus. It's not like that. It's...he wants me completely. To be...well, I'm not even sure but I doubt it's to marry me and get a nice house in the suburbs." She scoffed, trying to imagine Loki going off to work in an office job while she played house-wife. Heather had grown quiet and she turned the still lit join over in her fingers.

"Was he there in Rafe's cabin?"

Oh yeah. She had forgotten about that too. Violet nodded, chewing her bottom lip. "Rafe and Jack were convinced that I had found something in the woods and Loki was trying to buy it from me that day in the diner. They wanted to sell it to the highest bidder to get out of here or something. I'm sure it was more Jack than Rafe's idea."

"This is wild. So, you believe he really is a god?"

Shrugging, Violet took the roach from her fingers and inhaled the last drag. She blew her breath out with a quick cough and laid back in her bean bag. "At first, I thought he was just a lunatic. But, the things he can do...appear to me in my dreams and move things, and the way he handled Jack and Rafe...It was surreal. They didn't even see him move. One second he was there, the next they were on the ground. And, god...the way he looks at me." She shivered remembering the last time his eyes were on hers.

"So, I guess this is a kind of good bye then?"

"What?" Violet sat up, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"Well, you accepted right? I mean, when he told you that you would be his..."

"I...I actually told him to leave me alone."

Heather stared at her in disbelief. She tossed the remainder of the expired joint into an old coffee can before folding her legs under her. "You should have just fucked him in the woods. Let him do what he wanted and maybe he would have left you alone...but, you would have gotten to fuck a god."

Violet rolled her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face. Leave it to Heather to think of an idea like that. But, now that the thought was planted in her head, Violet wondered why she hadn't done it in the first place. Still, she shook it from her mind and peered up at her best friend through her lashes. "So, you believe me?"

"I think Earl would believe you after seeing him that one day. I'm sure he wouldn't have refused a god-fuck either."

Violet climbed down from the tree house in a hurry, cursing under her breath. Her finger snagged on one of the wood planks as a splinter jaggedly slid into the heel of her palm. She jumped from where she was and landed with a thud as the girl above her waved down. Inspecting the splinter in the dim, fading light, she couldn't tell if it was too deep or not. "You better run if you have to be back before dark!" Violet set her jaw and took off across the lawn as Heather laughed from the tree house.

Shit. She always lost track of time when she smoked. Rolling her eyes, Violet clutched the huge tome under her arm and wished she had just left it on the floor of the treehouse. But, it was due back at the library day after tomorrow and she didn't need to be in trouble with anyone else.

Her father wouldn't be so mad, but with the way her step mother was acting lately, she wouldn't doubt it if the woman checked her over for needle marks in her arms when she got home. Violet crossed a neighbors yard and ducked under a few tree branches. Glancing into the houses, she could see people sitting down for dinner, laughing with children and friends. It seemed so bizarre to her now, the idea of a normal life, being married, worrying about what to make for dinner. It didn't fit into her head anymore, like the pieces were still there, but the puzzle was different.

Just as she leapt over a ditch to take the road back to her own neighborhood a truck's high beams flared to life on the road in front of her, blinding her. Violet shrieked and fell back on her ass, her hands scraping against the gravel. The book tumbled into the ditch at her right but she hesitated before reaching for it. The truck had stopped on the road and the doors were thrown open. With the light in her eyes, she could only stare at the shadows as they encircled her. A pair of hands grabbed her elbows as another looped around her knees. From beside her, a strip of tape was slapped over her mouth.

"Scream and I cut you right here." The voice was rough and smelled like cabbage. Violet gagged behind the tape, her eyes wide as she was carried to the truck and thrown into the passanger seat. The two other men leapt into the back and slammed their hands down on the roof twice before the engine roared. The truck was littered just like Rafe's had been and she kicked at the beer cans as she cowered into the corner. The driver, whose side profile strongly resembled Mr. Stevens' glanced at her. He had a long, gleaming switch blade in his hand, pointed toward her neck.

"Don't make a move, sweet thing. We got a tip from a very generous woman that you had spilled the beans. I knew no girl could take my boy down. So, why don't you just tell me who it was that helped you and things will go real smooth like." What the fuck? Had Heather turned her in? So soon?

Violet shook with rage as she remembered her mother's scowl as the two girls walked up to the tree house. Heather's own mother had called in this attack. Violet had been to their family gatherings, thanksgiving and even on vacation and yet, this is how she was treated? Furious, Violet knew that fighting was her best choice. They were drunk and there was no telling how far they would go tonight. And since she sent Loki away, she couldn't count on him saving her again.

Turning in the leather seat, Violet brought her knees up to her chest and kicked out with both legs. The heel of her sandal slammed into Mr. Steven's jaw as the other kicked at the knife in his hands. It clattered to the floorboard as he swerved the wheel, jerking the truck off the road. Violet reached for the knife but it slid away from her fingertips and stopped right under the clutch pedal. She cursed as the men in the truck bed howled from the sudden jerk of the truck. She glanced back at them to see one of them tumble over the side, the other holding onto the metal to keep him steady. Well, at least it was only her against two now.

"Bitch!" Mr. Steven's roared as he swiped at her with his hands. He clawed at the seat but she slipped down into the floor board, kicking out again. This time she connected with his knee and his foot slipped from the gas pedal. He jerked the wheel to the left this time, pressing her against the door. She fought to keep herself away from him as the truck bounced off the road. Her body was flung back into the seat and a hand gripped the back of her jeans, pulling her across the cracked leather. Screaming, Violet held onto the door handle with all of her strength. The truck lurched to a stop and she slid off the seat and onto the floor, the gear shift bruising her thigh as her forehead smacked into the glove box.

The truck door opened on squeaking hinges but Rafe's father never loosened his grip on her jeans. She felt him pull and the seams of the denim on her hips popped under the stress. It was either let go of the door handle, or have her pants ripped off. Screaming through her clenched teeth, Violet let go and she was pulled across the seats. The steering wheel jarred the back of her head as she was flung from the truck to the wet grass at his feet. "Go find Bill!" Mr. Stevens ordered to the other man. Violet assumed Bill was the man who had fallen off the truck and hoped he was knocked out.

With another tug, she was rolled onto her back as the drunk stepped over her and lowered himself down onto her legs. She slammed her fist into his chest and he grabbed her wrist and twisted, wrapping tape around and around her arms. Grunting, he pulled the tape back over her mouth to muffle her screams and pinned her between his knees as he sat back on her hips. He was heavy and she couldn't tell if her tears were from the pain in her wrist or from fear of what was happening. "Please." She begged from behind the tape but he laughed. He brought his hand back and slapped her across the cheek with the back of his hands.

"Bitch." He spat, wiping the sweat from his broad forehead. "You ruined my boy's chance at a football career, you know. His shoulder is completely fucked up because of you. And I am going to make you pay." The switchblade clicked and she watched in horror as the blade pointed toward her chest. He flicked it up the front of her shirt, catching a bit of her skin as he ripped the fabric from her body. Even in her bra, she felt naked. She tried to cover her chest with her arms but he put them above her head and held them. With his other hand, he made quick work of his belt.

Violet couldn't help begging now, but not for him. She screamed the only name she hoped could hear her, even if the tape was hindering her words. As the buttons of her jeans popped, she screamed again, sqeezing her eyes as tight as she could. Her arms ached as she tried to pry them free of the tape, her legs kicking as much as they could beneath the beast on them. He stepped off of her and managed to wiggle the jeans down her legs. She kicked out but he anticipated the attack and slammed her thigh to the ground, kneeling on it.

Crying from the sudden red-hot pain, Violet hunched forward and stared with wide eyes as the two other men came jogging back to them. Bill had apparently survived his fall with only a twisted ankle and was limping. His face was lit by the truck's head lights and Violet could see a disgusting lust in his eyes. He rubbed his hands together as he stared down at her trembling body on the grass. "Got ourselves a fire-cracker." He was missing several teeth.

She felt her panties being pulled aside making her gasp in horror. He lifed her legs and pulled them apart. Struggling against his pawing hands, she threw her entire weight into each escape attempt. She kicked along the ground, managing to scoot herself back a foot before her ankle was seized and she slid back down the grass. Please don't do this. She sobbed, squeezing her eyes shut, the tears streaming down her temples. Loki...

She felt a breeze blow over her, moving her hair across her face before the sickening sound of a broken bone exploded in her ears. She gasped and opened her eyes to see a familiar pale face, snarling and breathless. Bill's neck was broken in Loki's hands and he threw the body to the ground like a discarded napkin.

Mr. Stevens hadn't even noticed and moved his body into the space between Violet's legs. She sat up, straining to see around him as Loki closed the distance between them and seized the brute by the hair. He slammed the man's face into the dirt beside Violet and she clawed backwards to avoid being hit or grabbed again. The other man grabbed a crow bar from the back of the truck and swung. The metal struck Loki's hand as he curled his fingers around the bar and jerked it from the man's grip. He still had a white knuckled grasp on Mr. Steven's pony tail, and he pulled him up from the ground as he drove the crowbar into the other's sternum. Violet tried to close her eyes in time, but she had seen it all. Blood ran down the front of his flannel shirt like a river and he stared down at the bar sticking from his own chest before stumbling back. The man crumpled like a ragdoll and he stared at her as he fell. She watched the life drain from his eyes with tears filling her own.

Loki was still fuming, his chest rising and falling as he drew in deep breaths. He pulled Mr. Steven's by the hair until the man's feet were dangling helplessly. His hand wrapped around his throat and Violet watched his long, delicate fingers squeeze the life from the drunk. No. She had seen too much death tonight. Scrambling to her feet, she ran to the god and clutched at his chest. "Loki, don't! Please." She pulled at the fabric of his cape, his shoulders, his neck and finally her hands found his face. His jaw was clenched tight and she traced the line of it with her blistered palm, a small smear of blood appearing.

"Don't ask me to spare his life. He is underserving of it." He growled, his eyes lit with pure rage.

Violet swallowed the sob in her throat and nodded. "I know. I just want to leave. Please. Take me away. Please. I'm yours." He blinked and stared down at her, his arm never dropping an inch. She pulled at his elbow and couldn't hold back the river of tears behind her eyes. They spilled out and she pulled at him again, sobbing hard through clenched teeth. Loki released his hold and Mr. Stevens fell to his back, gasping and coughing at her feet.

Her entire body began to shake, her fingers trembling violently as she pulled at his hands. Loki stared down at their hands and he laced his fingers into hers. The tears obscurred her view, but she managed to force her legs to move enough to find the truck. The keys dangled from the ignition and she sighed in relief. Behind her, Loki shifted and pulled the green cloak from around his shoulders, draping it around her. It was warm and smelled like him and now she knew she would be safe.

Pulling it tight around her, she climbed into the driver's seat and glanced back at the scene around her. No one would believe her now. She wouldn't be able to hide behind her father and who would testify on her behalf? A god from Asgard? She sniffed and waited, her eyes never leaving the shocked face of Mr. Stevens. He still gasped on the ground, moving back along the grass where he had had her pinned down. She stared hard, hoping he knew that she spared his life, even after what he had done. Something dark inside her wished she hadn't.

Loki hurried to the other side of the truck and slid into the seat. Violet slammed the door beside her, twisted the keys and pursed her lips as the engine roared. Her body was exhausted but she knew she had to push herself just a little more.

"I can't be here anymore."

"We'll get you home."

She shook her head as she pulled the truck back on the dirt road they had barreled down moments before. "He knows who I am, Loki. I won't be able to slip away like last time. They're going to find me guilty of murder."

"Let me end him, then. All of your problems would be over."

"And what about Rafe's? That's his father. Would his problems be over with, or just starting?"

Loki scoffed as she sped onto the highway, jerking the wheel into the correct lane. "His father isn't even worthy to lick the mud from my boots."

"Loki, please! This isn't Asgard! This is Earth and we have rules and consequences." God, she sounded exactly like her father. Her gut wrenched at the thought of him. What would he have done if he had witnessed what had happened to her? Would he have spared Rafe's father, or let Loki squeeze him of his last breath. She pinched her eyes shut and took a deep, shaking breath. From beside her, Loki leaned over the seat and took her hand in his. "Then come to Asgard. I can protect you from this wretched world."

Violet stared into the darkness beyond the truck's headlights. Even with them on, she could see the glittering stripe of the Milky Way above them. Asgard. Her head ached and she just wanted the pain to go away. Nodding, she looked over at the god beside her. "How?"

A smile spread across Loki's face, his eyes dark but sparkling in the dim truck cab. "Just go to where we first met, little dove."

.


End file.
